Chapter 74: Architect
Eira narrowed her eyes. "Was the only reason Rico wanted to kill him because he wanted his position in the gang?" She smiled, leaning toward him. "Is there something you’re not telling me? From what I know, it wasn’t long after Marianna’s boyfriend’s death that the gang was attacked and dissolved into their rival gang, and Rico went on to form his own gang."
The man shook his head. "I-I..."
"I would advise you to tell the truth," Eira said coldly, tapping the rod threateningly against the edge of the chair. "Unless you want to see how far I can go."
The man gulped, his body trembling as sweat dripped down his face. "Fine, fine! I’ll tell you! Rico didn’t just want his position. He wanted to be the gang leader, but after realizing that the rival gang was stronger than ours and that without the presence of select people it would be easier to defeat, he took another approach. He started recruiting various members of the gang—I was one of them—by sharing his vision for the gang he wanted, whitewashing himself, and spreading the leader’s unpleasant secrets. He did all this while using Marianna to get rid of her boyfriend."
Eira raised a brow. "And how did they get rid of him?"
"Poison. Rico had an associate who dealt in rare and deadly poisons. He gave Marianna a poison that I believe killed her boyfriend slowly until he died during the gang war. He also used poisons on others, and somehow, no one knew except those he told."
Eira turned and walked toward the table, gently placing the rod on it before turning back to face the captives, leaning against the table.
"Your words are very hard to believe because the Rico I know isn’t that smart. He’s the typical brute who prefers using his fists over his brain. Now I’m asking for the last time—are you forgetting something? For example, was there someone smarter pulling the strings? Someone who orchestrated this whole thing while letting him take credit for the dirty work?"
The man’s face paled further as he shook his head frantically, his lips trembling. "N-No, I swear! Rico did it all! There was no one else!"
Eira’s expression darkened, her patience visibly wearing thin. She took a slow, deliberate step forward, her voice dangerously low. "You must think I’m stupid. Rico couldn’t have orchestrated this alone—poisons, manipulation, whitewashing, and gathering intel? Not his style. So I’ll ask you one last time... who was really behind it?"
The man’s breathing quickened, his resolve crumbling under her piercing gaze. "I... I don’t know—"